ERIC Number: EJ1160970
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1358-684X
EISSN: N/A
English and Enlightenment
Medway, Peter
Changing English: Studies in Culture and Education, v17 n1 p3-12 2010
English is best advanced by being relocated within the central aims of education, which in turn need to be drawn from Enlightenment values. Central among the latter is knowledge. The article argues that the least obviously "factual" side of English--novels and poetry--contributes to knowledge in direct and indirect ways. These include conveying sorts of knowledge that can't be expressed propositionally, giving a sense of other subjectivities, "reporting" on unfamiliar social worlds and developing the conceptual apparatus through which we gain knowledge. Enlightenment attitudes are promoted through literature's encouragement of philosophical reflection and resistance to current forms of instrumentalism strengthened.
Descriptors: Novels, Poetry, English Curriculum, English Instruction, Fiction, Educational Philosophy, Educational Objectives, Values
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A